The Best of Central Europe

Day-By-Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Oct 5. Departure: Los Angeles to Budapest

DAY 2 – Oct 6. Arrival: Budapest. Upon arrival in Budapest, meet your tour escort and take a private transfer to the hotel. Check-in and dinner at hotel. Overnight in Budapest. (D)

DAY 3 – Oct 7. Budapest

Breakfast. Enjoy sightseeing in Budapest. We will start with Buda, located on the right bank of the Danube River. See the Fisherman's Bastion, which takes its name from the guild of fishermen that were responsible for defending this stretch of city walls in the Middle ages, followed by Mathias Church, a gorgeous Romanesque style church whose Ecclesiastical Art museum houses numerous sacred relics and medieval stone carvings. Cross the St. Elizabeth Bridge to see Heroes' Square, Central Market, Vaci Utica pedestrian street and St. Stephen Basilica. Lunch on your own. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Budapest (B, L)

Note: Due to parliamentary or state events, visits may be cancelled even as late as immediately prior to admission. a security check is required prior to entering the House of Parliament.

DAY 4 – Oct 8. Budapest - Zakopane

Breakfast and hotel check-out. Board the coach and drive to Zakopane. Lunch on your own en route. Enjoy a short guided tour of Zakopane, a resort village nestled in the splendor of the Tatras region. En route admire picturesque landscapes of Polish highest mountains. Check-in and dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Zakopane. (B, D)

DAY 5 – Oct 9. Zakopane - Wadowice - Krakow

Breakfast and hotel check-out. Board the coach and drive to Krakow. Stop in Wadowice, which is the birthplace of Pope John Paul II. Visit his house, which is now a museum. Visit Papal Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Wadowice where the Pope was baptized. Lunch on your own. Continue to Krakow. Check in and dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Krakow. (B, D)

Day 6 - Oct 10. Krakow - Divine Mercy - Krakow

Breakfast. Enjoy tour of Krakow. Start with Wawel Hill, visit Wawel Cathedral, one of the most beautiful Renaissance residences in Central Europe. Continue to Market Square, the biggest in Europe. Visit St. Mary's Church famous for its Wit Stwosz's wooden altar. Lunch on your own. Drive to Lagiewniki. Visit Divine Mercy Sanctuary. See images of the Merciful Jesus, relics of St. Faustina, as well as the Saint's convent chapel and her Tomb. Transfer to the nearby "Have no Fear" John Paul II Center to visit the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II, a chapel with relics of the former pope, including a vial of his blood. Return to Krakow. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Krakow. (B, D)

Day 7 - Oct 11. Krakow - Auschwitz - Prague

Breakfast and hotel check-out. Depart to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the former concentration camp and the largest in the Third Reich, which was set up in 1940 for prisoners from Poland. The fortified walls, barbed wire, platforms, barracks, gallows, gas chambers and cremation ovens show the conditions in which Genocide was performed by the Nazis. Lunch on your own. Drive to Prague. Check in and dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Prague. (B, D)

Note: The visit to Auschwitz is subject to confirmation upon availability; therefore, the schedule of sightseeing might change. Please note that visit might be confirmed even as early as 8:00 am. There will be no possibility to change any names after booking.

Day 8 - Oct 12. Prague

Breakfast. Enjoy a guided tour of Prague, including the castle district (Hradcany). Visit St. Vitus' Cathedral. Pass the Basilica of St. George to visit Prague Castle. Then, stroll through Mala Strana with its amazing architectural buildings. Visit Church of Our Lady Victorious where you see the Statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. Cross the Charles Bridge to visit the Old Town, which is considered to be one of the best historical city centers in Europe. Visit the Old Town Square, the Town Hall with its famous Astronomical Clock (exterior view). Visit the Church of Our Lady before Tyn, one of the most beautiful Gothic buildings in Prague and St Nicholas Church, a baroque church, where Mozart played. Lunch on your own. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner at a local restaurant with folk show. Overnight in Prague. (B, D).

Day 9 - Oct 13. Prague - Cesky Krumlov - Salzburg

Breakfast and hotel check-out. Board the coach and drive to Salzburg. Stop en route at the charming Czech mountain town of Cesky Krumlov, where you can stroll its cobblestone streets; marvel at the city's picturesque Baroque and Renaissance-style buildings; and tour Krumlov Castle, one of Europe's largest castle complexes. Lunch on your own. Continue to Salzburg. Check in and dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Salzburg. (B, D).)

Day 10 - Oct 14. Salzburg - Vienna

Breakfast and hotel check-out. Embark on a guided tour of Salzburg, including the various sites from the movie "Sound of Music." See Mirabell Gardens and Mirabel Palace, where Maria and the children sing "Do-Re-Mi,". Next view Salzburg's leading sights, including the Residenzplatz, the center square of Salzburg, dominated by the dynamic sculpture of the Residenzbrunnen, the largest Baroque fountain north of Alps. The Residenz building, built in 1596, was once the palace of the Bishops. Nearby stands the Cathedral dating 1614. We see the Benedictine Convent on Nonnberg where the nuns sing "Maria" (exterior view). Next, we continue to see Monchsberg with the fortress "Hohensalzburg," which overlooks the city. Built into the side of Monchsberg is the Salzburg Festspiedlhaus, home of the famous Salzburg Festival Operas. Next, we visit St. Peter's Abbey, next to the cemetery portrayed in the film The Sound of Music and where most of Mozart's religious works were premiered (exterior views). Continue to see Leopold's Castle, which was used as the front of the Von Trapp family residence (exterior view). Lunch on your own. Drive to Vienna. Check in and at the hotel. Overnight in Vienna. (B, D)

Day 11 - Oct 15. Vienna

Breakfast. Enjoy a Vienna guided tour. While you stroll along the charming squares and medieval streets, learn the rich history and culture behind Austria's capital city. Other sites we will see include Otto Wagner's Stadtbahn pavilions, The Vienna Opera House, Heroes" Square, St. Augustine's Church (exterior views), St. Stephen's Cathedral and Mozart's House (exterior view). Pass by the Belvedere Palace well known for its beautiful gardens. Lunch on your own. Visit the Schonbrunn Royal Palace a summer residence with 1,441 rooms including a Hall of Mirrors where Mozart performed at the age of six before a your Marie Antoinette Louis. Schonbrunn Palace was put on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites in December 1995. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Vienna. (B, D).

Day 12 - Oct 16. Breakfast and hotel check-out. Transfer to the airport. Departure: Vienna - Los Angeles